Bad Boy Buggies

In the spring of 2007, I broke down and bought a Bad Boy Buggie. I have bought a lot of stuff for hunting over the years but the BBB has to rank as one of the all-time best purchases I have made.

First, let's get the bad points out of the way:

• It is too tall. They need to shave about 4" off the height
• It needs a light inside. When it is dark, it is hard to find the right button to push
• It cost too much. They are approaching $9000 nowadays.
• It needs to run faster. It ain't no speed demon but I think it runs about 15-20 mph.
• Heavy...about 1600 pounds
• It takes more room than an ATV to turn around.

But, the good points far outweigh these "cons":

• Quiet!
• Will go in mud and water up to say, 8 "
• Runs about 20 miles on a charge. I have never run mine down completly
• Carries four hunters easily
• We use it about as much around the house as I do hunting.

Overall, I would give the BBB a 9 out of 10 in meeting or exceeding expectations. I have driven to within 75 yards of a gobbling turkey and did not spook him. Yes, I did kill that one.

I have driven within 50 yards of feral hogs without spooking them. Yes, we did get into them.

The Buggy allows an older hunter like me to cover more ground, find more game, and just enjoy the hunt more. I have a friend who swears he kills more game ON the BBB than he does OFF the Buggy. My dogs love to ride on it and I use it for conditioning them prior to hunting season.

Is it a four-wheeler? No. If you need something to handle the mud in rice fields, go deep into a bad area to get a big buck, or really hog across logs in heavy mud, a true ATV would be better. But, for 99% of my hunting, it has been totally satisfactory.

More On Cruciate Problems

Since damaged ACL's (anterior cruciate ligaments) are so common, I wanted to expand a little on this situation in addition to the previous posts. A recent article in one of our journals, the Clinician's Brief by Dr. James Roush at Kansas State clarified some important points.

Medical journals refer to this problem as CCLR (cranial...same as anterior...cruciate ligament rupture), so that's what we will call it too. It is the most common cause of hind leg lameness in the hunting dog. If the torn cruciate in not repaired, permanent arthritis in the joint can occur.

There are some studies that show a genetic component of CCLR. While all dogs are at risk, larger active dogs have a higher incidence. It is unusual for a puppy to have this problem because their bones are still quite flexible. As a dog ages and his/her bones become more stiff, a sharp twisting of the knee (called the stifle) is more likely to put stress on the knee ligaments. There have been some researchers that think a mild bacterial infection may have a role in weakening the ligament. If a dog ruptures a ligament in one knee it often does the same thing in the opposite knee at a later time.

Typically, a dog with CCLR will be acutely lame for several days, get better, then become really lame in about a month. In our practice, we see both legs affected in about 20% of the dogs with CCLR.

Your veterinarian can diagnose the condition by manipulating the joint checking for abnormal movement or a firm swelling on the inside of the leg near the joint.

Treatment for CCLR is surgical. In studies done, 81% to 100% of large hunting type dogs will remain lame unless surgical correction is done. There are numerous surgical techniques for correction but they can all be broadly lumped into "outside the joint capsule" and "inside the joint capsule". In our practice, we only do the "outside" procedures. Typically, an implant of some sort, usually a very heavy nylon thread is used to stablize the joint. In the hands of more advanced surgeons, a procedue called a "TPLO" is currently the gold standard for CCLR correction. While the TPLO is considered the best procedure, some studies have shown no difference in long-term results using the "outside the joint" techniques versus TPLO or a newer surgery called a "TTA". Regardless, your veterinarian can guide you on the availabilty of TPLO/TTA procedures and their value compared to the "outside the joint" surgeries.

After any joint surgery, physical activity must be decreased for at least 8 weeks. Physical therapy for hunting dogs with CCLR repair has advantages because this therapy may get the dog back in the field quicker. Weight loss is also a part of the aftercare, even to the point of being a bit thin. Most dogs will be weight bearing on the surgery limb in less than a week and regain near normal gait within 6 weeks but total healing often takes up to 6 months.

The prognosis for CCLR repair is excellent with >90% of these dogs returning to normal function after surgery.

There is no known way to prevent CCLR except keeping your dog at an optimal weight, i.e. no overweight dogs.